The invention includes embodiments that relate to an electrode composition and method of its making. The invention includes embodiments that relate to an electrode for an energy storage device.
Metal chloride batteries, especially sodium-nickel chloride batteries with a molten sodium anode and a beta-alumina solid electrolyte, are widely employed for energy storage applications. When the metal chloride batteries are employed in mobile applications like hybrid locomotives or plug-in electric vehicles (PHEV), the batteries should be capable of providing power surges (high currents), during discharging of the battery. This should be achieved without a significant loss in the working capacity and the cycle life of the battery. To provide better fuel economy via regenerative braking (a power generation system, e.g., in PHEV's), better electric efficiency is desirable, since the ratio of discharged to charged energy decreases with an increase in current. Attempts have been made to provide positive electrode compositions that can tolerate power surges. In general, there exists a need for an improved solution to the long-standing problem of high current cell performance. Modifying the positive electrode composition may provide one such solution, since an improved composition may significantly improve the cell working capacity, and decrease the capacity degradation rate.